Webuser Your Essential guide to Encrypting Your Data June July 2017 pdf pdf
Issue 426
28 June - 11 July 2017 Best software New apps It ain’t half grand
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- Can you decrypt this: Dvy fhvi rh gsv lmob nztzarmv blf mvvw (see page 3)?
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Issue 426 Homepage Encrypt your entire existence n keeping with this issue’s eight-page who have no business nosing through encryption special, I was tempted to write them, and round up the best free tools my entire blurb in specially created code. for encrypting your data on your PC However, I dropped the idea after realising and phone to keep everything you say
I that it might look like I’d nodded off on my
and do 100% private.
keyboard at the end of a long day so Now for the fun part: the first instead, you’ll find a secret encrypted person to decrypt our secret message on our cover. message on the cover and email it Our cover feature on page 38 takes the to webuser@dennis.co.uk wins a current political hot potato of encryption Web User mug! Here’s a clue: t = g. and slices it up into easily digestible fries. We look at the many useful ways you canRobert Irvine disguise and protect your files, messages, robert_irvine@dennis.co.uk passwords, devices and more from people
#webuser Things you’ll learn this issue
5 How to try Amazon products p54
for free for 14 days – before
1
you buy them page 6 How to sanitise your downloads to remove
2
potentially malicious content page 30 How to scan text in photos
p38
directly to PDF using a new
3
app from Adobe page 32 How to browse the web on your PC by using your iPad
4
instead of your mouse page 57 How to turn System Restore back on after
5
upgrading to the Creators Update page 69
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28 June - 11 July 2017
IN DEPTH
32 Best Free Apps Turn document scans into PDFs on your phone p38
ENCRYPTING ENCRYPTING YOURDATA YOURDATA p Which is the best Android calendar app? p46
FREE Screwdriv er Set CRIPTIONS ver Your guideto
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Apps, sites and products on test COVER FEATURE
Articles on the latest tech topics REVIEWS
Apple unveils its latest gadgets p36 Contents
28 June - 11 July 2017
ISSUE 426
26 Best Free Software Secure your PC and your entire network
20 Group Test We review and compare eight powerful all-round PCs that cost less than £500
14 Best New Websites Help promote online safety with fun and games
48 Speed up your updates Follow our advice to receive software updates earlier, faster and more efficiently
46 Android calendars Should you stick with Google Calendar or are there better alternatives?
38 COVER FEATURE OUR GUIDE TO ENCRYPTING YOUR DATA Protect your files, communications and web browsing from snoops and criminals
36 FAQ Discover Apple’s latest products
28 JUNE - 11 JULY 2017 How to protect your privacy against snoops, spies and criminals
30 Best New Browser Tools Scan downloads automatically in Chrome
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What’s New Online
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Twitter gets a new look Production Editor Miki Berenyi to kill off old devices? p74 Editorial Tel: 0203 890 3890
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28 June - 11 July 2017
What’s New Online Tweet more easily on any device
witter has been trending itself thanks to its biggest redesign in years. Out go the square profile photos in favour of round buttons, while new fonts and bolder headlines
T
declutter the social network, making it lighter, faster and easier to use. You can see the Like, Reply and Retweet counts updated in real time and take advantage of more intuitive icons, such as a speech bubble for instant replies.
If you have multiple Twitter accounts, you can now check the permanent profile image at the top of the screen to see at a glance which one you’re using. Tapping the image opens a side-navigation bar that shows your profile, additional accounts, lists, Other changes include a more moments, settings and privacy in one place. prominent night-mode button in the This debuted on Android last year but has side-navigation bar and an increase in the now been introduced to iOS. Apple users also surrounding white space to create a less benefit from article and website links opening crowded, more readable page. Further in Safari’s viewer, which means any accounts you’re signed design updates are promised soon. into will open without fuss. www.twitter.com
Search for emoji by Try Amazon products drawing them before you buy bit.ly/emoji426 bit.ly/amazon426
Gboard for Android and iOS lets you search for emoji by One drawback to online typing a description, but what if you have a mental image of shopping is that you what you want but aren’t sure how to describe it? The latest can’t try out an item version of Google’s keyboard before you order it. And solves this problem by if you decide you don’t letting you draw the emoji want a product after instead. Just tap the emoji purchase, you’re faced symbol in the search box, with the hassle of then scribble on the screen applying for a refund and Google will try to and having to package figure out what you’re and send the product back. drawing and suggest With Amazon’s new ‘Try official emoji to use. If you Now, Buy Later’ scheme, see one you like, select it however, you can keep and continue typing. The your cash in your pocket. new feature currently only Provided you’re a Prime works with the Android member, you can now choose a product sample, test version of Gboard. It’s not it for 14 days and then return it before deciding whether you the only new addition, want to buy the item for yourself or someone else later either: Gboard now down the line. The scheme is currently limited to one trial predicts entire phrases as per customer, and there are only two products available – well as single words to both of which are Canon cameras – but it’s an interesting make your overall typing idea that may be extended in the near future. Just keep an speed even faster. eye out for the sample sticker on product pages.
28 June - 11 July 2017
What’s New Online
Check out the most powerful and entertaining historical photographs
Make Facebook comments using GIFs TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER Visit an Australian national park Discover the stories behind your clothes Add football fixtures to your calendar
If you follow a Premier League team, then make sure you don’t miss a kick next season by importing the fixtures into your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar. Simply visit the official website, click the ‘Add Fixtures to Calendar’ button and select your club, then click Sync Schedules and choose where to export the details.
www.premierleague.com/fixtures
Whether you pull on jeans, a smart suit or a dress, your clothes have a story to tell. Google Arts & Culture is uncovering those tales with its We Wear Culture project, which includes 30,000 fashion pieces and more than 450 online exhibits. You can explore the famous designers who have influenced what we buy, look at the trends that have emerged over the centuries and learn more about specific items of clothing. You can also watch videos, enjoy virtual-reality films in Google Cardboard and see craftsmanship in the finest detail.
bit.ly/wear426
Take a journey down under with the latest addition to Street View, which lets you check out the home of the Anangu people in all its natural glory. You can explore Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia in your browser, admire Uluru (or Ayers Rock, as it’s also known) and enjoy the native flora and fauna, vast waterhole and serene scenery. Each location is accompanied by a description and the ability to view it on Google Maps. You can also take a fascinating guided tour that is packed with songs and stories.
bit.ly/uluru426
If the real news is getting you down, cheer yourself up with this satirical take
Hopefully, last year’s Wimbledon champion will find time to update his Twitter account
28 June - 11 July 2017 Tell us your favourite new things at forum.webuser.co.uk www.facebook.com
Lord Buckethead had his own election manifesto and the spaceman is still tweeting
Donald Trump’s tweets rewritten so they sound more presidential
This interactive map uses satellite data from NASA to show how the Arctic’s sea-ice cover, snow and frozen ground have shrunk over the past few decades. Use the slider to move through the years or cycle through them automatically.
See the effects of climate change nsidc.org/soac
Instagram’s new Archive feature lets you hide from public view images that you’ve previously shared. Tap “...” above your post and select Archive, so images can only be viewed via your Archive button.
Archive Instagram posts www.instagram.com
Adobe has uploaded a set of digitally recreated brushes based on those used by master painter Edvard Munch. They are available for use in Photoshop and Sketch.
Download 100-year-old brushes bit.ly/brushes426
Facebook now lets you communicate using GIFs – just tap or click the Comments box below a post and select the GIF button. Doing so lets you search a large number of mini- animations across your apps before choosing one to use. The feature was added after Facebook revealed more than 13 billion GIFs were sent via Messenger last year.
5 We pick the 10 best things you must do on the web this fortnight
- – could help the legal case for keeping Kodi around. If users can no longer find pirated streams but are instead using the software to watch legal content, the argument by Kodi developers that their creation is benign grows in strength. So although the disappearance of add-on libraries may frustrate some users, especially those who do watch content illegally, it may help prevent Kodi itself from being shut down in the long term, which is good news for anyone using the software for legitimate streaming.
If you’re a Kodi user who installed add-ons from TVAddons to watch streams, you’ll need to find a new route. The shutdown will affect you regardless of whether the content you were streaming via TVAddons was legal or not.
Kodi piracy crackdown as add-ons site shuts down Kodi has sought to distance itself from add-ons that stream content illegally
In other words, the closure of add-on sites – especially those that specialised in letting users stream pirated content
The demise of TVAddons is being painted as a death knell for Kodi, but there’s another way to look at the issue. Kodi’s developers have frequently had to defend the software against accusations that it enables piracy, and it has indeed been used for that purpose. But as more and more illegal streams are removed from the web – by targeting add-on sites, for example – the case for Kodi as a legitimate streaming service actually grows stronger.
What do we think?
Although it’s unclear at the time of writing exactly why TVAddons has disappeared or whether it will return, rights holders have been using legal action to target illegal streams over their content, so such sources may become tougher to find. That could make Kodi more difficult to use, regardless of whether you’re using the add-ons to pirate or not.
Still, that doesn’t mean that Kodi is no longer functioning. You’ll simply need to find new add-ons for the content you were watching: while some add-on providers have disappeared, plenty of rivals remain online.
How will it affect you?
Kodi has been a frequent target of action from the authorities and rights holders this year. Set-top boxes preloaded with Kodi and these types of add-ons have been banned from sale in the EU. There has been a series of arrests against those selling them, including five in the UK in February.
Other add-on repositories have followed suit, shutting down their services to avoid legal action. Legal takedowns aren’t always successful, however. Some add-on sites have been forced offline by legal action, but come back under a different name or via new domains.
TVAddons was one of the largest collections of such tools, with 1,500 add-ons including Exodus. Reports suggest it had 40 million monthly visitors, but the site appears to have vanished from the web, with its various domain names redirecting to empty pages or error messages. It’s not known exactly why the site has disappeared, but it may be connected to an ongoing lawsuit against TVAddons in Texas in the US.
Kodi lets you stream content from the web to your TV, computer and other devices. This makes it attractive to pirates, which in turn draws negative legal attention from rights holders. The latest target of the authorities appears to be the popular TVAddons. Add-ons are software packages that add extra features to Kodi and can pull in content from sources including TV channels, YouTube and music-streaming services – places where pirated material can proliferate.
A number of unofficial services providing add-ons for the popular media-streaming software Kodi have disappeared from the web, including TVAddons, which was one of the primary sources of add-ons linking to copyrighted material.
What happened?
Need to Know
- Our Complete Guide to Kodi is available to buy from Amazon at bit.ly/ completekodi .
28 June - 11 July 2017
Mobile roaming charges scrapped in EU
After years of back-and- forth discussion, member countries of the European Union have officially scrapped roaming charges. Under the new rules, any EU citizens travelling in Europe will no longer have to pay extra to make calls, send texts or use data while abroad; they will just pay the same charges as they do at home.
No matter what your thoughts on Brexit, there’s no question that the shift towards more sanity and fairness in roaming charges was led by other EU members. Here’s hoping that the UK keeps these rules in place when it finally leaves the European Union in two years’ time.
Travelling to Europe for work or pleasure just got a lot easier. Although most operators put a cap on over-the-top charges and some already offer free roaming, that doesn’t make this new ruling redundant. Those of you with long memories will recall the frequent headlines about Brits accidentally racking up huge bills overseas.
What do we think?
In the meantime, however, you’re safe to roam without extra charges.
And what about Brexit? If and when the UK does exit the European Union, the free roaming regulations will not automatically be incorporated into our own laws. That doesn’t mean the British government will drop the idea, but it will have to pass its own law.
Critics of the regulations have suggested that data costs in the UK could rise as a result to make up for the loss of revenue to mobile operators. However, many companies including Three and Vodafone in the UK already offer free roaming in Europe and further afield.
Next time you take a trip to Europe, you don’t have to worry about getting ‘bill shock’ from running up extra fees and charges when roaming. There are no hoops to jump through or special schemes to sign up to – just enjoy the privilege of paying less. It applies to any European Union citizen travelling in the area.
How will it affect you?
What happened?
What we think of this fortnight’s top tech news stories and rumours,
and how they affect you Discuss web news at forum.webuser.co.uk 28 June - 11 July 2017This sounds like a handy tool that’s easy to use, particularly if you’re already a Drive user, but it does mean handing over your most important data to Google. If that doesn’t appeal to you, that’s perfectly understandable
What do we think?
However, if you let Google resize your photos to ‘high quality’ from the original size, they won’t count against your total. If you need more space, 100GB of storage costs $20 (around £15.60) a year, while 1TB costs an annual $100 (about £78). However, if you only have a few key files you want to keep protected online, these are likely to fit within the 15GB limit.
Google Drive backs up your whole PC Gmail and certain photos.
If you plan to use Backup and Sync to back up your hard drive, you’ll probably have to shell out for more storage from Google. The company offers 15GB for free, but that also covers
How will it affect you?
The tool is available from the end of June, and is essentially an extension of Google Drive and Google Photos. Previously, you could copy files and folders from your computer to Google Drive, and use the Photos app on your Android phone or tablet to back up pictures from your device to the cloud. Backup and Sync combines both features and extends their reach, letting you keep your entire Desktop and all your important folders synced to Google Drive.
Google wants to take the hassle and tedium out of regularly backing up your files by offering to carry out the task for you. Backup and Sync is a new Google tool that lets you automatically sync and store all your photos, videos and other files online.
Need to Know What happened?
- – there are plenty of rival backup tools, such as Microsoft’s OneDrive, which offers a similar service to Google’s new one. Regardless of which method or service you choose, make sure that you regularly back up your data in case of a ransomware attack, hardware failure or other catastrophe.
Microsoft has said that the latest security patch will be available to all users, including those running outdated operating systems.
How will it affect you?
Microsoft has just announced Project Scorpio to the public – only, rather disappointingly, it’s actually called the Xbox One X. The forthcoming console looks as powerful as we’d expect, with Microsoft claiming it’s capable of six teraflops (that’s 6 trillion calculations a second, in plain English). To put this in perspective, the Xbox One is capable of only 1.32 teraflops while the PS4 Pro achieves 4.2 teraflops.
Xbox One X bit.ly/xbox426
With all these elements together, the Xbox One X can run native 4K content
What’s more, the Xbox One X’s GPU (graphics processing unit) runs at 1,172MHz – a big jump from the Xbox One’s 853MHz and 911MHz in the PS4 Pro. However, it’s the memory and processor that are most impressive. The console has 12GB of GDDR5 RAM and a 2.3GHz CPU.
Xbox One X to be more powerful than the PS4 Pro, that’s a sizeable leap, and one that’s likely to dent Sony’s ego.
The WannaCry ransomware outbreak in May demonstrated how quickly such threats can spread, so it’s essential for all operating systems to receive security patches as soon as possible.
We always suspected that Microsoft would eventually have to bend its rule about no longer releasing updates for Windows XP. Although support ended over three years ago, XP still has more than 200 million users worldwide, which is a lot of people to leave unprotected against the latest malware exploits.
What do we think?
The three exploits, known as EnglishmanDentist, EsteemAudit and ExplodingCan, are all classed as remote-execution vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain access with full user rights.
This update is in addition to the regular Patch Tuesday, and although patches will be received immediately by anyone with automatic updates enabled in Windows 7 or later, older systems such as Windows Vista and XP will need to be manually updated via the Microsoft Download Centre.
Microsoft patches XP against new exploits later than Windows 7, 8.1 and 10.
- – its outdated operating system stopped receiving support in 2014 – in anticipation of more WannaCry-style attacks against the platform. Windows
Microsoft was criticised for its response to the WannaCry ransomware attack, because it patched Windows XP, which still retains almost 6% of the operating-system market share, much
“Due to the elevated risk for destructive cyber attacks at this time, we made the decision to take this action because applying these updates provides further protection against potential attacks with characteristics similar to WannaCry,” said Adrienne Hall, general manager for Microsoft’s cyberdefence operations centre.
The Shadow Brokers group released the three exploits that prompted Microsoft to patch its ancient OS. The flaws are considered to pose an “elevated risk of cyber attacks by government organisations”, Microsoft’s blog post warned ( bit.ly/microsoft426 ).
XP’s WannaCry vulnerability was patched in May.
As part of June’s Patch Tuesday, the company issued fixes for Windows XP
Microsoft has taken the extraordinary step of providing an emergency patch for its outdated Windows XP operating system following the release of a host of NSA exploits.
What happened?
FIRST LOOK
4K Blu-ray player – unlike the PS4 Pro
Unfortunately, there are two catches (thankfully, one of them isn’t how big it is!). First, you’ll need to pay a whopping £449 in the UK, making it £100 more expensive than the PS4 Pro. Even though the Xbox One X comes with incredible graphics and a
for optimised games – and boost Xbox One games currently locked to a resolution of 900p or 1080p to 4K, too. Like the PS4 Pro, the Xbox One X will be compatible with almost all existing Xbox One games and should give most of them a performance boost, although you may only notice this if your TV is good enough.
Need to Know
Although we definitely expected the
- – it’s still a high price. What’s more, you’ll have to be patient because the Xbox One X isn’t out until 7 November this year. Still, that makes it a perfect addition to your Christmas list.
28 June - 11 July 2017
WHAT’S THE RUMOUR Discuss web news at forum.webuser.co.uk 28 June - 11 July 2017
The call for a ban on backdoors to encryption is in marked contrast to the recent policy of several other Western powers, particularly the UK and the US. The UK’s Investigatory Powers Act, for example, makes it possible for authorities to order companies to remove “electronic protection” if necessary. After the London Bridge terror attacks on 4 June, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, emphasised the need for authorities to “deprive the extremists of their safe spaces online”.
Google has revealed four new measures it will take to tackle the spread of terror- related material online, one of which involves using smarter software to identify videos “glorifying terrorism and violence”.
Atari to launch first console in over 20 years
Atari, the company behind iconic games including Pong, has confirmed that it’s making a video games console for the first time in more than 20 years. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2013.
WEBOMETER
If the amendments do go through, however, it could lead to a legislative clash, where European companies are forced to keep encryption watertight, but UK or US firms are obliged to create backdoors to their software.
Is the government going to break encryption? softened or thrown out altogether.
Need to Know WE LIKE... Google to tackle YouTube terror videos
A draft report by the EU Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs states that providers of services should “ensure there is sufficient protection in place against unauthorised access” to user data. It goes on to say that the “confidentiality and safety” of communications should be guaranteed, either by the method of transmission itself, or by end-to-end encryption.
LIKELIHOOD RATING
Hackers are employing a new type of attack that involves taking over the accounts of activists and journalists, cloning them and using them to spread false information. In most cases, the attackers have also managed to lock the victims out. The European Parliament is bucking against the UK government’s desire to weaken encryption systems, and is pushing for amended regulation that bans the use of ‘backdoors’ for the purposes of law enforcement.
Hackers clone Twitter accounts to spread fake news
Some Three customers were unable to receive calls and text messages from EE users in what a Three spokesperson described as “a problem at EE’s end”. Three and EE worked together to resolve the problem.
WE DON’T LIKE... Three customers unable to receive EE calls
✓✓✓✓✓
As we explain in our cover feature on page 38, creating a backdoor in an encryption system renders the technology useless and unsecure, so the government might as well ban encryption altogether. However, we think that the uproar this would provoke among technology companies and their users makes an outright ban extremely unlikely.
Glowstone smart mug bit.ly/glowstone426 |
From £79
There are few things worse in life than returning to a cup of tea only to find it lukewarm or colder. The Glowstone self-heating smart mug solves this very British problem by keeping your tea or coffee hot for an extra hour. Unlike similar vessels that are either plasticky or metallic, the Glowstone is made of fine bone china to optimise taste, and is lightweight and dishwasher-proof. It charges wirelessly, features no buttons or socket, and lights up when your drink is at the ideal temperature. The project has already met its £5,000 funding target with a month left to go.
What’s new on Indiegogo Our favourite new project on the crowdfunding site
The EU draft report has to be approved by European Parliament, then reviewed by the EU Council, so there’s always a chance it will be tweaked,
| What’s been bothering us this fortnight
The malware, which has been identified as OSX/Ransom-A (but is known popularly as MacRansom) is not in the wild, but a sample was obtained by the security firm from its creators. When the app is run, it installs itself quietly on your user account, without asking for a password. It copies itself into a subdirectory called ~/Library/.FS_ Storage, where it is hidden because files and folders that start with a dot don’t show in Finder by default.
THIS ISSUE’S EXPERT: Darren Guccioni, Co-founder and CEO of Keeper Security ( www.keepersecurity .com ) Q What should I do to stay safe when using the web on holiday?
bit.ly/macransom426
Once installed, OSX/Ransom-A encrypts your files, including those on any currently attached drives (such as Time Machine volumes and USB drives) and offers to sell you a decryption key. Although the virus is not in the wild, it highlights that hackers are working on ways to target Mac users. Because attached drives are vulnerable to malware such as ransomware, Sophos recommends you always keep one backup not only offline, but off-site.
Ransomware attack hits University College London
A number of UK hospitals have suspended their email servers as a precaution following a substantial ransomware attack on University College London (UCL). UCL first noticed it had fallen victim to an attack on Wednesday 14 June, and was then forced to restrict access to both its network and shared drives. The university believes the malicious software may have infected its systems through a phishing email that was clicked by a user.
no way for you to lose your important files.
News about the latest threats and advice from security experts Stay Safe Online SECURITY ALERT!
Ph ot o cr ed it : UCL
Security Helpdesk |
Your questions answered by security specialists
The system’s virus checkers failed to pick up on the malware, which has led UCL to warn that it may be facing a ‘zero- day’ attack – exploiting a vulnerability that has not yet been patched or picked up on. It’s unknown how similar the malware is to last month’s WannaCry ransomware, which infected around 200,000 computers across 150 countries and led to the partial shutdown of many NHS systems. Regardless, a number of hospital trusts have suspended their email servers as a precaution.
bit.ly/ucl426 New Mac ransomware discovered
A new example of ransomware targeting Macs has been discovered, according to researchers at security company Sophos.
- It’s best not to carry around sensitive data that you aren’t likely to use, so store it in the cloud or on removable media, instead of on your phone or tablet.
- This is a good time to change all your passwords for all your devices, and set up two-factor authentication if possible. Make your passwords eight characters or longer, using a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Even better, download a free password manager to do all the work of creating complex passwords and remembering them for you.
- If you haven’t checked recently, this is an excellent time to make sure that your antivirus software is up to date. There are plenty of dangers lurking on the Wi-Fi networks of foreign hotels, coffee houses and airports.
- If your smartphone allows (and most do), enable the feature that automatically erases all data in the event of multiple failed password attempts (usually 10 or so). If anti-theft software is available, enable it so you can lock your device remotely if it is stolen. Enable and activate the ‘find my phone/device’ function so that if your phone or tablet is stolen, you can track it, disable it and change all the passwords.
- Disable Wi-Fi auto- connect options from all your devices before you leave, so you have to manually connect when you think it is safe to do so. Ideally, you should buy a subscription to services that only connect to secure Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the world. Rates are inexpensive and becoming more so all the time. If you need to transfer or access sensitive data while you’re abroad, use a VPN.
- Similarly, disable Bluetooth connectivity. If it’s left on, cybercriminals can easily connect to your device in a number of different ways. Once they’re in, your cyberworld is their oyster!
A Just presume you are going to lose everything on all your devices. That way, all data will be backed up before you leave, so there’s
Leon McLean, Facebook
28 June - 11 July 2017 Email us your security questions at webuser@dennis.co.uk
INTERLAND GAME
NEW
A villa is the perfect accommodation for a large family or group of friends looking to spend time in the sun, but booking one can be a hassle. Recognising this, Jet2 now offers villas as part of a package, together with flights and car hire. Specify where you’re flying from and to, along with the dates and number of guests, and the site lets you quickly filter the results, see the villas on a map and check out their facilities. There are plenty of well-shot photos, with information and useful descriptions, while the booking process is speedy and easy to understand. You can also view alternative dates and airports, potentially bagging decent savings if you’re flexible.
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TRAVEL Our rating
GAMING Jet2 Villas www.jet2holidays.com/villas
VIDEOS This video explains the concept of the site.
The PlayStation console made gaming fashionable back in the mid-Nineties, so it seems apt for this site to sell an official range of trendy PlayStation- related clothes and accessories. You can find t-shirts, jumpers, caps, bags, mugs and more, with the ability to filter the products by type, price range and brand as well as size, gender and colours for wearables. Each item is accompanied by a large photo and a brief description, and you can share products with friends or save them to buy later. We like that you can use PayPal at the checkout and track orders once you’ve set up your account.
PlayStation Gear www.playstation-gear.com
We’ll forgive Google’s cringey down- with-the-kids use of the word “awesome” because this site makes slick work of encouraging children to stay safe online. It offers essential lessons about sharing, fake content, privacy, bullying and the importance of open communication, exploring these issues via a chirpy, educational game called Interland and a host of professionally created resources for teachers and parents, including a downloadable family pledge and lots of links to info on cyberbullying and good “digital parenting”.
Reviews by David Crookes Be Internet Awesome bit.ly/awe426
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The site’s games provide a great way to explore specific issues related to online safety
There’s also a Be Internet Awesome Challenge (see bit.ly/awesome426 for details)
28 June - 11 July 2017
We review this fortnight’s best new and relaunched websites and rate them for content, design and features RESOURCES Download the Be Internet Awesome pledge and grab certificates, badges and papercraft activities
ADVICE The site is packed with useful information about being internet smart, alert, strong, kind and brave
NEW NEW NEW Best New Websites Tell us about your website via webuser@dennis.co.uk 28 June - 11 July 2017
Jeremy Tankard typography.net
Jeremy Tankard was one of the first companies to offer a digital-font database, back in 1998. This relaunch makes it easier to sift through the huge collection of original type designs. You can view each font and use the built-in test tool to see how it looks in different forms and sizes. You can also download watermarked demos to evaluate the fonts further or take a peek at how they look in a magazine-style context at the sister site studiotype.com. With detailed design notes and info, and the ability to license fonts individually or as part of a package, it’s certainly one to write home about.
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Local Heroes www.localheroes.com
If you need a reliable plumber to carry out work in your home, or require a heating, electrical or drainage expert in a hurry, this British Gas initiative vets and approves qualified tradespeople while offering a 12-month guarantee, the promise of a fair price and no call-out charge. Select a trade from the drop- down menu, specify your problem and postcode, and get an estimate. Once you’ve accepted the quote, you can book the person and pay online using PayPal or card, eliminating any dodgy cash-in- hand deals. You can also offer your own services if you’re in one of the trades.
The Best of Guernsey
www.thebestofguernsey.co.ukThe designers of this hub for all things Guernsey have channelled their energies into producing a clearer, bolder site that works much better across all devices. This puts it in line with other revamped Best Of sites, all of which boast a larger search box and an expanded set of icons, making them much easier to navigate. By reducing the homepage clutter, cleaning up the sidebars and making better use of colour, the site allows businesses, offers and events more room to breathe. The combined result is a faster, more professional-looking guide for anyone living on or visiting the island.
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TYPOGRAPHY TRADESPEOPLE
Best New Websites Tell us about your website via webuser@dennis.co.uk 28 June - 11 July 2017
RELAUNCH RELAUNCH RELAUNCH
Hive www.hivehome.com
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For more information on how to get protected Visit: www.ipssecurityrules.com Call: +44 (0) 203 355 6804
DEVELOPED BY THE INDUSTRY EXPERTS ROTECTS AGAINST ID THEFT, DATA L
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BOOKS Our rating
a decent attempt of keeping you up to date with forthcoming tomes and plotting the biogs of the authors it’s signed up. However, the bubblegum- pink text on a black background is a chore to read and makes Bombshell Books feels amateurish and dated. Still, you can always sign up to the mailing list or keep abreast of the latest releases on social media.
The Queen of Blogging, but makes
Specialising in women’s fiction, chick-lit and romance, Bombshell Books is a digital imprint of crime and thriller specialists Bloodhound Books. It currently has only one novel available,
HEATING HEALTH Bombshell Books www.bombshellbooks.com
It even finds room for quizzes, online tools such as a BMI calculator and tips on reducing your alcohol intake. A permanent reminder of the new 111 phone service would be useful, though.
This revamped site for NHS Direct in Wales is in much better health thanks to greatly enhanced navigation. It puts its most vital services at your fingertips with a more prominent symptom checker and local-service finder, and a handy section called Choose Well that highlights the services to use if you feel poorly. The site also has many accessible guides covering travel, vaccinations, pregnancy and various conditions and treatments.
NHS Direct Wales www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk
We’re finding it hard to warm to Hive’s new website given that the old version did a better job of selling the company’s range of thermostats, sensors, lights and plugs. The new site involves a lot of clicking about to discover exactly how it works and wastes time with flowery marketing language and an unhelpful video, which makes it hard to discern exactly what it’s offering. Get past that, though, and there are many positives. Hive has streamlined the navigation, tidied up the look, made buying items a doddle and improved online support. It has also started to update the blog after taking a six-month break.
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TheClash via Web User Forums
THIS ISSUE’S EXPERT: Oliver Burkill, Enterprise Support Manager, eUKhost ( www.eukhost.com )
What’s new in WordPress
Along with the usual security updates, version 4.8 of WordPress ( www.wordpress.org ) adds a selection of new widgets for your sidebar. It’s now a lot easier to add images, videos and audio files directly from the Media library. There’s no need to enter any code
- – just click the appropriate widget and choose (or upload) the media from the library. You can also format text in widgets to use italics, bold and more.